Trap for animals



March 5, 1929. J. J. DANIELS 1,703,990

TRAP FOR ANIMALS Filed April 28, 1927 'ken away.

y Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITEDA sfrafrias JOHN .'r. DANIELS, jor WILLMAB, MINNESOTA.

C' .TRAP :Fon

Application mea Aprii as, i927.` seriai No. 187,219.

My invention has rfor its object toy provideaniinproved animal trap and, to 'this yend, the invention consists of the novel de -y vices and combinations of` devices, hereinafter describedand defined in the claims.

The invention is 4illustrated in the accom-y panyingdra-Wings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the yseveral views. c

Referring to. the drawings,

'Fig 1.is a plan View ot the improved an'-y Y Yiinal trap, some parts being bi'okenaway and some of the exposed parts'.y being shown yin section; f,

Fig. 2 is a transverse verticali section, taken on the line m2 fr ofFig. 1 `on an enlarged scale; I

Fig. 3 is a detailview, in vertical section, taken on the line m34 w3 oiFigfl on an enjlai'ged scale; 1

Fig. 4l is a ydetail view, in vertical section,

larged.scale;and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the trigger in a trip position, some parts being brov' llhenuineial 1 indicates the sidesand ends of an openbottoinl rectangular Wooden,l box, having a niovablecover 2, comprising a yrectangular marginal frame, provided With' a panel 3 oit reticulate material, such 5 as Woven `Wire screen.

The "cover -2 `is niovably and detachablysecured to, the box 1 by pieces of flatspring'nietaLcOnstituting hinge straps 4. Attheir lower ends, these hinge .straps 4- are permanently securedto one of the sides of the `box 1 by screws or other suitable'ineans', and

their upper end4 portions project above the' upper edge ofthecbox 1 and are each provided With a central'perforation 5. For detachably securing the hinge strap 41 to the cover 2, a pair 'of sharp pointedstuds or headless nails 6 are driven partly intozone of the side edges ot the rectangular cover traine 2, with their projecting ends arranged yto extend through the perfoiations ,5 in the hinge straps 4t.' Qb'viously, When-thecover 2 is raised, the' studs are cramped in r the ,openings 5 and therebyfheld against "endivise removal therefrom.'l

bar 113, projects througha `small opening Forholding the trap set, or, in other Words, for holding the cover 2 open in order to permit an animal to pass into the box A1, `when a ybait -is set, ay normally depending trigger lever 7 is pivotally inountedon a supporting bar -8 secured to the front ot the box At its upper Vend, this supporting bar 8 is bifurcated toreceive the triggerflever 7,

and the prongs thereof'terininate in apair o alignedk seatsI or bearings 10, in which is `.loosely Journaled the ends of a horizontally extended pivot pin 11; This pivot pin projects throughthe upper end portion of the ftrigger lever 7 and its intermediate portion is rigidly secured thereto.` Integrally formed Withfithe upper eiidkportionyof the trigger lever 7 isv a laterally projecting segvmental triggerwhead 12, of such size as to project under the front 'edge portion of the cover 2, and supportthe saine'in yan, ele- Vvated or open position, asshovvn in Fig. 2. f taken on the line m4 m4 of Fig. 1 4on an enf,

For holding thetrigger lever 7 in an yoper,- ative orset position, al trigger lock bar 13 is provided, Which extends horizontally and transversely across the box 1. Oneend et this trigger lock bar 13 is secured to the side of the box 1, tovvhich ythe hinge straps l vare also secured by va hinge element 14. The other, or free end ofthev trigger lock 15, formed in `the front side of the ybox 1, and terminates in kanupvvardly projecting detent 16, adapted to engage and frictionlock `baifl. Vhen the trap is set, .the

ioii the trigger 7 up, but is prevented `troni doing so by the engagement of the lock deF tent 16 therewith. This frictional engage- The bait ZindicatedinFigs. land 2 may besecured to the trigger lock `bar 13 by tying thev saine thereon `With' a finewire or string, or thetriggergv lock bar 13 may vbe lprovidedWitha barb, not shown, onto which the baitZ is pressed.

.allvyholdthe dependingfend of .the trigger f Weight of thecover 2 on the trigger head 12 tend's to Vthrovv the Jfree or depending end The trap is sprung by the animal. Within the box, either by stepping directly on the trigger lock bar 13 or by pulling on the bait Z, as it takes very little movement of the trigger lock bar 13 to release its detent 16 from the trigger lever 7. As soon as the trigger lever 7 is released, the weight of the cover' 2, combined with the action of the spring trap hinges i, swings the trigger head 12 into a position to permit the cover 2 to close. As soon as' the cover 2 is closed, the trigger lever 7 and trigger head 12return to normal position under the action ot gravity. Upon the return of the said parts to their normal positions, the cam head 12 passes over the cover 2, and thereby forms a lock to prevent the animal from lifting the cover 2 and, thereby, escape from the trap. To prevent the cam head 12 from moving too far at the time the trap is sprung, the same is provided with a laterally projecting lug 17, which engages one of the prongs 8 and thereby limitsthe swinging movement o' the said head.

I have found that, when rats'are killed in the traps in which they have been caught, other rats will not, as a rule, enter the same traps, thereby destroying their value. To remove an animal alive from my improved trap, the box 1 is provided, at one end, with an opening 18, into which is littedv a rectangular metal casing 19, having open ends to form a passage way 20, leading through-one end of the box 1. This passage Way 20 is` normally closed by al door 21, having at its upper Corners a pair of laterally spaced hinge lugs 22, lthrough which isl passed a hinge rod 23, secured, at its ends, to the sides of the casing 19. rl`he length of the door 21 is considerably greater than the height of the passage way 20, and normally projects obliquely from the upper outer edge of the casing 19 to the lower edge thereof. A butterfly spring 2ryieldingly holds the door 21 closed. Evidently, a. door constructed and arranged as the door 21 cannot be opened by pressure from within the trap. At its upper end, the door 21 terminates in a finger piece 25, projecting completely outside of the passage way 20.

To remove the animal alive from my improved trap, the mouth oi a bag Y is secured around the outer end of the passage way 2O by means of tacks 26 or other suitable means, driven into the box 1. After the passage way 2O has been completely closed by the bag Y, the door 21 is opened bypressing downward on the finger piece and the' animal is driven into the passage way 20 into the bag Y. The mouth of the bag Y is then closed and removed from the trap. The animal wit-hin the bag Y may be disposed ot by drowning, or otherwise.

The above described trap, While extremely simple, being composed ot' few parts, which may be very easily taken apart and cleansed, and of small cost to manufacture, is thought to be highly eiiicicnt for the purpose had in view.

Vhat I claim is:

1. An animal trap comprising a cage having a gravity closed hinged cover, a depending trigger lever pivotally connected, at its upper end, to said cage and having a head extension, a lock arranged to be tripped by an animal within said cage and having a detent engageable with said trigger lever, said head arranged to support said cover in an open position, when said trigger lever is set, the weight of said cover on said head tending .to hold the free end of said trigger lever engaged with said detent, said cover moving said head into an inoperative position to permit said cover to close when said trigger lever is tripped, and said head returning to normal position over said cover, Aunder the action of gravity, thereby holding the same closed, substantially as described.

2. An animal trap comprising a cage hav` ing 'a gravity closed hinged co-ver, a depending trigger lever pivotally connected, at its upper end, to said cage and having a head extension, a lock bar extending through said cage, one end of said lock bar being connected by a hinged joint to said cage and its other end having a detent engageable' with the free end of said trigger lever, said head arranged to support said cover in an4 open position, when said trigger lever is set,the weight of said cover on said head tending to hold the free end of said trigger lever engaged `with said detent,` said cover moving said head into an inoperative position, to permit said cover to close when said trigger lever is tripped,and said head returning to normal position over said cover under the act-ion of gravity, thereby holding the same closed, substantially as described.

3. In an animal trap, an enclosure or 'pen having a cover hinge'dly connected thereto, a swingable trigger member for supporting said cover in raised position, said trigger member being supported `from said enclosure adjacent the free edge of said cover, a latch member adapted to be released by an `animal within said enclosure and adaptedto retain said trigger member when the weight of said cover is placed on said trigger meinber, said trigger member having a locking portion disposed at arheight above said enclosure and adapted to be outwardly moved when said latch member is released' and to thereafter swing inwardly above said cover to lock the same'in closed position.

4. In an animal trap, an enclosure or pen having a cover hinged thereto on a horizontal axis, asupport carried by said enclosure "adjacent the free end of said cover and having a horizontalybearing therein, a trigger member pivoted in said bearing and `having a depending arm and an inwardly projecting locking head above said enclosure on lWhich said cover may be supported When the trap is set, a latch member adapted to retain the depending portion of said trigger member when the Weight of said cover is placed upon said locking head, means for returning said locking head to normal position after said latch member is released and said cover has closed, and means for limiting the inward 10 swinging movement of said trigger member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

` JOHN J.DAN1ELs. 

